Bradenton company designs unmanned aerial vehicle

Aegis Tactical says small aircraft does 80 percent of what a real helicopter can do, at a fraction of the price

By LEE WILLIAMS

It hovers easily even in a stiff cross wind, can be equipped with a variety of cameras including thermal imaging, has a 1,500-foot ceiling and can navigate via global positioning satellites.

All the while its pilot remains firmly on the ground.

About the only thing it cannot do, which a regular helicopter can, is carry passengers — unless they weigh less than 1,200 grams.

Aegis Tactical is developing a prototype Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, specifically designed for law enforcement, firefighters and other public safety officials. The Bradenton company is a rare provider of the devices — which are coming into vogue for law enforcement across the country as well as generating concerns about privacy from a host of camps — based in Southwest Florida.

Best known to the American public through the unmanned, weaponized aircraft that the U.S. military has been using for years against Al-Qaeda and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan, UAVs comes in all shapes and sizes.

The Aegis UAV can do 80 percent of what a real helicopter can do for less than what a department would pay for two hours of traditional flight time, the Bradenton company says.

The research and development model uses off-the-shelf technology — a four-rotor remote-controlled aircraft — with lashings of upgrades to make it rugged enough, and flexible enough, for police special operations, search and rescue, geo-tagging crime scenes and other needs.

Local design

The Aegis UAV was designed by Michael Buckley, an instructor at the Bradenton company who is a former police officer, a licensed helicopter pilot and an electronics guru.

“A police officer will be able to have it in his trunk in a Pelican case, and launch it in minutes,” Buckley said.

The devices could be used to provide real-time tactical intelligence to SWAT operators, or find a missing person in thick brush, even at night.

It also could offer firefighters a bird's eye view of a fire, so they can better coordinate suppression efforts.

Aegis' owner Joe Krawtschenko, another former police officer, expects to have a marketable product in a few months.

“It's a totally useful tool for law enforcement,” Krawtschenko said. “It's cost effective. If it saves a two- to three-hour helicopter flight, it's paid for itself.”

Buckley's upgrades include new “anti-gravity” motors and carbon fiber rotors, which do not flex like regular plastic models, increasing lift and speed. They are also more durable.

Privacy concerns

In April, Gov. Rick Scott signed off on legislation that requires police agencies to obtain a judge's order before using a UAV for surveillance, “The Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act.”

The legislation was strongly supported by both Republican-dominated chambers and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Scott said his goal was to protect the privacy of Florida families from the “unwarranted use of drones or other unmanned aircraft.”

Buckley said his design is more suited for emergencies than for long-term surveillance, given its 15-minute battery life.

“It's meant for first responders — officer safety,” he said. “Say someone shoots at officers and then runs into the woods. Instead of chasing after him, put the UAV up, find out where he is, and wait for backup.”

Lifeguards at local beaches could use it to check out “issues in the water, such as whether a dorsal fin belongs to a shark or a dolphin,” Buckley said.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations allow civilians to fly the UAV recreationally, but they are currently prohibited from using it for business.

“They can't make money from it,” he said.

The FAA allows local government to do more.

“I train anyone who touches one fully in the law,” he said.

Many options

On a demonstration flight on a recent Tuesday, Buckley sheared the UAV through tree branches.

The small aircraft was unscathed.

His design can carry forward-looking infrared, or FLIR, cameras and small video cameras such as the popular GoPro.

If the operator wants live video images, the device can be outfitted with a small camera that transmits images in real time to a set of goggles worn by the operator.

It can be flown with a controller similar to those used by model aircraft. However, there is an app that allows it to be flown with a smartphone.

If the phone or controller lose power or quit, the UAV will hover and then return to its launch point, navigating via GPS.

Aegis Tactical plans to also offer training, which Buckley — a fully rated helicopter pilot with 700 hours of flight time — will lead.

“Just because it's smaller, it's still VTOL (vertical take off and landing) flight,” he said.

His aircraft is powered by battery packs that take just seconds to replace.

“This can do 80 percent of the work a helicopter can do,” Buckley said. It's not designed to replace the regular helicopter. It's meant to compliment it.”